You and I in London
by YourMouthHangingOpen
Summary: Where Ruka finds out he only needs to pay the bill for Hotaru to chase him. King's Cross, London-the magic never ends.


Disclaimed.

What would happen if your fate depended on a booger stuck on the wall?

* * *

_Fortune Boogie_

"Last call for passengers of flight 3679 to London, please board the plane. We will be leaving in fifteen minutes. Again, last call for..." The paging system blared as crowds and crowds of people of different nationalities swarmed in the packed and hot airport.

Ruka Nogi sighed and splashed cool water on his face and stared at his reflection. He would be 'visiting' his parents' nieces and nephews, technically his cousins- but he doesn't want to refer to them as that. He blanched- at least he would get to hear interesting British accents.

He exited the restroom and made his way through the maze-like corridor leading to the lobby. It contained the usual accessory, payphones and the same white paint coating it.

He wiped his brow. It was exceptionally hot that day. He continued his way out, looking at things randomly when he caught an interesting sight.

A booger was stuck to the wall -he cringed- looking a day old or two. But what really caught his attention was the writing beside it.

Fortune Boogie  
Meet me at King's Cross  
2 pm

He laughed out loud that the women and men exiting the restrooms stared. Thenhis eyes went lower and found a different handwriting.

You actually think I believe you?  
Ha-ha-ha. Stay stuck, Moron.

It was a wonder that the airport management hasn't still repainted the wall and removed the stuck booger. 'Fortune Boogie' he mused with a chuckle and started walking away.

* * *

.

.

Hotaru was having the time of her life carrying two, heavy suitcases and dragging a gigantic trolly behind. It was sweltering hot that she wouldn't be surprised if the airport got flooded with perspiration. 'Ew'. She dismissed the thought.

One of the wheels of the trolly broke and rolled away towards the rushing crowd.

"Damn it!" She cursed and ignored the stares directed to her. The woman trudged forward, not minding the weight and the resistance of friction. She set the bags down on a bench and stood up and started forward.

She needed air. Curse it if one of her boss' bag got lost she didn't care. Hotaru steered towards the direction of the restrooms before a man with blonde hair grabbed her arm and forced her on the wall, uncaring if there was an audience to his spectacle.

"Meet me. Kings's Cross. 2 pm." He muttered on her ear before letting go and striding away.

"What the hell?" Hotaru retorted and opened her palm in which he slippined a piece of paper.

'_Mr. Boogie'_

Hotaru frowned at the two words. She started going back to the lobby when a thought stopped her.

'How the hell did he know I'm off to London?'

* * *

.

.

"30 dollars."  
"20 dollars."  
"25 dollars."  
"22 dollars"  
"24 dollars. And that's with a kiss, lassie. Last price." The taxi driver flashed a toothy grin at her. She glared.

"25 dollars." Hotaru said concludingly and stepped inside the vehicle, ignoring the diappointed look on the man's face after being turned down. She leaned back and massaged her temples.

'Damn it.' She thought angrily. She just arrived from her flight when her boss called her to start working immediately, adjusting the deadline that had Hotaru scrambling out of her hotel quickly although jet-lagged. Her mission? Do a survey on UK taxi drivers.

It was driving her mad.

The car steadily moved out of the highway towards someplace when she remembered.

"To Westminster Abbey." She told the driver curtly before looking out the window.

"Woah, lassie. That's very far. Let's say we stick to thirty dollars." He replied and didn't even cringe when the electric woman glared at him through the mirror. It was her eleventh taxi for the pst two hours, and he was by far, the worst. Tired and hungry, Hotaru was ready to murder.

"We had a deal. I'd pay you twenty-five dollars only and that's final. And oh, stop calling me 'lassie'. " she replied hotly, annoyed by his words and his accent. The taxi suddenly lurched to the side that she almost hit her head to the window. She looked up when it stopped.

"If you aren't paying me right you better get off now, lassie." The man grinned menacingly and emphasized 'lassie' to her. Hotaru glared and got out of the taxi. She kicked the wheel twice before it came speeding away.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" She cursed aloud and stopped when a group of kids stared at her, wide-eyed. Color flooded her cheeks and turned around, avoiding their stares.

It was weird. She didn't care if it were adults but she couldn't helped but be ashamed when they were kids who witness her cussing around. Well,it felt natural to curse- like breathing.

She scanned her surroundings and found a plaque nailed to the bricks. With its size, it wasn't hard to miss.

King's Cross  
London, U. K

The name sounded familiar like- just then her stomach grumbled. She checked her watch and groaned. 1:25 pm.

She grabbed her purse and headed for the nearest restaurant she could find.

* * *

.

.

"Great. Just great." Ruka muttered and ran his hand through his hair at the long line who were waiting to be seated inside the restaurant. He looked around and realized that coming there was a mistake. King's Cross was packed with people. He never knew he'd be so idiotic to follow the wall's instructions. It wasn't as if he didn't know it was all bollocks.

"Sir, please follow me." A brunette waitress broke his thoughts and led him to a single table. He grabbed the menu and started to choose when a commotion suddenly broke out in the reception area.

"What do you mean there's no more available seat?" A woman with short, raven hair exclaimed venomously that he suppressed a shudder. The manager seemed to be on the verge of fainting that a few employees held his arm.

"Ma'am, I'm so sorry-" he started but jumped on fright when the woman stepped forward.

"Sorry? So you're gonna let me starve my ass out there?" She hissed. The whole restaurant was silenced and the manager just stood speechless, trembling from fright.

Ruka Nogi didn't know what had gotten into him, but at the exact moment that he opened his mouth, he immediately wished he hadn't.

"She can share the table with me." He was surprised at the voice's calmness which be almost didn't recognize as his own. Dozen and dozen pairs of eyes turned to his direction all at once. Silence. The raven-haired woman sighed and that brought the manager back to life.

"Thank you sir. Thank you very much." He strode towards a petrified Ruka and bowed. He motioned for the waiter to prepare the table and as if nothing happened, the restaurant was back to its usual buzz. The woman sat down the table without another word and snatched the menu from the scared waiter.

Ruka was growing impatient at the rudeness of the woman. He stared at her pointedly, noticing her smooth, slightly-tanned skin and hard amethyst eyes.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me?" He started crossly and thanked the waiter who delivered his food. The woman settled her order before gulping down her glass of water.

"I suppose. But I'm too hungry to be nice." She retorted and started typing on her phone. Ruka's eyes narrowed in annoyance before turning his attention to his food. He picked up a fork.

Hotaru Imai took the chance to scrutinize the man before her. 'He's Japanese' she thought and vaguely wondered what brought him there to London. Then she noticed his light blue polo. 'It fits him nicely' she thought before raising her vision. He was blonde she could see, but with his attention towards his food she couldn't see his eyes.

She shrugged the thought before her gaze landed on the fettuccine he was eating. Her stomach sang the song of its people.

Ruka looked up and stared at her, amused.

"Do you want some?" He asked, twirling the pasta seductively. '_Yes! Yes! Food! Yes!' Hotaru thought._

"No thanks. I'd rather wait for my food." '_And starve to death'_ she continued.

Ruka hid his grin and purposely raise his fork to his mouth, coaxing her to look, and then he swallowed. He exaggerated his moans.

"Hmm... Delicious."

Hotaru was supposed to strangle the man when the waiter came with the food.  
She inhaled deeply and sent a triumphant look towards the man in front of her. Ruka swallowed the last strand of pasta and drank from his glass of water, observing her.

"You're Japanese." He said and placed his elbows on the table. She shot him a look that clearly says 'Duh'. Ruka chuckled. The woman was wolfing down one bite afterr another.

"How come you're here?" He asked. It was a rarity to find one of his countrymen in this cold, faraway country. Hotaru didn't bother to answer and shrugged her shoulders, continuing to gobble up food as fast as the express train. Ruka sighed.

"I just came here this morning." He continued and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Strangely, the woman in front of him swallowed then cleared her throat.

"Me too." She said before wolfing down a chicken leg. Ruka leaned forward.

"So you're stalking me huh?" He breathed on her face. Hotaru froze. Heat flushed in her cheeks but quietly dismissed it and raised her eyes. She leaned forward that they were a hair's breath away.

Ruka's heart rate increased weirdly.

"First of all, you're not my type. Second, if you were, I should've asked your name." She blew into his face and leaned back smugly. He recovered quickly.

"If you wanted it so badly you could've just asked." He said teasingly that Hotaru choked on her food. Ruka laughed.

"I'll give you a hundred dollars if you guess my name." Hotaru's mouth dropped open but then money signs appeared on her eyes. Ruka laughed once again and signalled for the bill.

"I was joking. Anyway, it's impossible for you to guess it right." He took out his wallet and gave the cash to the waiter. Hotaru ate disappointedly, thinking of how much money she could've earned. She blew air through her nose in annoyance.

"Well, thanks for making me expect I was going to earn today." She retorted with a huff and poked her food. The handsome man with her chuckled.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that..." He trailed off before heaving a sigh that didn't go unnoticed. Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Ruka asked, a bit irritated. She gave him a look.

"It's nothing. It's just that, I've been waiting for something to happen. And I can't believe I can be so foolish to believe in writings on the wall." '_There wasn't even a specified date.' _He thought to himself.

Hotaru was clearly curious about the Japanese man conversing strangely with her. When she didn't reply, he shrugged and smoothed out imaginary wrinkles on hi polo.

"I'll be going now." He smiled handsomely before standing up. He didn't wait for her to reply, leaving an immensely annoyed Hotaru behind.

It didn't help when she found out that he paid for her food, too. She stood up. She' going to find that man and strangle him to death.

Ruka stood in front of the train and glanced at his watch, only to realize he didn't have his watch. He sighed. It was probably all just a fluke. The hour has passed now.

* * *

.

.  
Colorful words were unleashed from Hotaru's mouth as she fought through the throng of people pushing her back. It was hot, and it was hot. She cussed again.

"Damn it! Where is that idiot?" She exclaimed and once ignored the few stares directed to her. A huge crowd of tourists, all bustling around, taking pictures and waving wands heading towards her caused another round of colorful words.

Ruka was hopeless, he admitted to himself and walked away from the sight.

On the other side of the crowd, Hotaru caught him.

Blue eyes met angry amethyst ones. And the huge clock sounded twice, signifying the second hour after noon.

* * *

I have nothing against U.K or its taxi drivers. According to Google, a mile costs five-six dollars per mile, and the driver was over pricing, Hotaru wasn't going very far!

"_What's meant to be will always find a way"_

_― Trisha Yearwood_

Reviews are very, very welcome!


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